John Murray: Irresistible Grace, and The Sovereignty of God in Salvation

         

          John Murray (1898-1975) was a theologian who taught at Princeton Seminary
     and helped found Westminster Theological Seminary, where he taught for many years.

          I am highlighting a quote from writings by Murray about the doctrine of "irresistible grace,"
     and the sovereignty of God in salvation.

         The words in parenthesis are related scriptures, added by me, plus some comments of mine.

         This one paragraph is filled with wonderful Biblical truths that every Christian needs to
     know, about the power, God and God alone has, to save his people!


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         "When a sinner comes to Christ in the commitment of faith (conversion), when the rebellious
     will is renewed (regeneration - "born again"), and tears of penetence begin to flow (repentance),
     it is because a mysterious transaction has been taking place between the persons of the Godhead"
     ('To God's elect, ... who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
     through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his
     blood:  Grace and peace be yours in abundance.'  1 Peter 1:1a-2.   Chosen by the Father, sanctif-
     fied by the Holy Spirit, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus).

         "The Father has been making a presentation, a donation to his own Son" ('All that the Father
     gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away'  John 6:37).
     "So perish the thought that coming to Christ finds its explanation in the autonomous determinations
     of the human will" ('Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the
     right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or
     a husband's will, but born of God" John 1:12-13).

         "It finds its cause in the sovereign will of God the Father" ('What then shall we say?  Is God un-
     just?  Not at all!  For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have
     compassion on whom I have compassion.  It does not therefore, depend on man's desire or effort,
     but on God's mercy'  Romans 9:15-16).

         "He has placed upon this person the constraint by which he has been captivated by the glory of
     the Redeemer and invests in him all his interests" ('For the grace of God that brings salvation has
     appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-
     controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the
     glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem
     us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what
     is good'  Titus 2:11-14).

          "Christ is made wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption" ('And be-
     cause of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness, and
     sanctification and redemption,' so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord'
     1 Corinthians 1:30-31).

          "Here is grace surpassing;  and it is grace insurmountable" ('No one can come to me unless the
     Father who sent me draws him.  And I will raise him up on the last day'  John 6:44. 
     'And he said, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the
     Father' John 6:65).


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          The quote from above is an excellent illustration of the Doctrine of "Irresistible Grace," and
     the sovereignty of God in salvation.
    
          Irresistible Grace - "The doctrine that teaches that the saving grace of God is effectually applied
     to those whom He has determined to save (the elect), because of His sovereign will and purpose, to
     the praise of his glory, whereby in God's timing He overcomes their resistance to the call of the
     gospel, and irresistibly brings them to a saving faith in Christ."  

          "Those who obtain the new birth do so, not because they wanted to obtain it, but because of the
     sovereign discriminating grace of God.  That is, men are overcome by grace, not finally because
     their consciences were made more tender or their faith more tenacious than that of other men."

          "Rather, the willingness and ability to do God's will, are evidence of God's own faithfulness to
     save men from the power and penalty of sin, and since man is so corrupt that he will not decide
     and cannot be wooed to follow after God, sovereign efficacious grace is required to convert him."

          "This is done by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, whereby a fallen man who has heard the
     gospel is made willing and necessarily turns to Christ in God-given faith."  Theopedia - An
     Encyclopedia of Christianity